Janja (The Lion King: Revisited)
Janja is a male spotted hyena. He is the leader of a small clan of hyenas that resides in the Outlands. Appearance Janja is an ashen-gray hyena with a lighter underbelly and darker spots along his back. His mane is spiked back, and there is a notch in his left ear. Unlike his clan, whose tails are all black, the underside of Janja's tail is gray. Janja and the rest of his clan don't appear to be fully grown, as they are only slightly bigger than a lion cub. Personality Like his hyena ancestors before him, Janja is a greedy and self-absorbed leader, with no regard for the Circle of Life. His unabated hunger drives him to extreme measures, as he is willing to stand against Simba and the Lion Guard to get what he wants. Janja is unforgiving to his minions and mercilessly mocks them in front of the clan, refusing to believe their excuses and stories. This is likely because his minions are not his friends; they are simply a means to an end, for Janja is crafty and uses his clan mates to do his dirty work for him. Janja's intelligence is undeniable. Surrounded on all sides by witless hyenas, he stands out as the clever member of the clan, utilizing his allies to either defeat the Lion Guard or take over the Pride Lands. Under Janja's guidance, the hyenas prove a great threat, especially since they are often swayed to his side through his natural charisma and cunning. Janja will ensure that the clan's goals always align with his own. Despite his ruthless ambitions and sharp intellect, Janja is also a bit of a coward, usually only choosing to fight when the odds are in his favor, and he is known to promptly turn tail and run when faced with a fair fight. Janja starts to have a change of heart after Jasiri saves his life. His continuous defeat by the Lion Guard and seeing how happy Jasiri and her clan are following the Circle of Life also makes him doubt the way he and his clan have lived up until then. Scar's betrayal opens Janja's eyes, and he finally decides to join Jasiri. Since then, Janja has completely abandoned his evil ways and shown more care for his clan members. He is, however, still not getting used to performing good deeds, such as helping other animals that have no relation to him, but is shown to be determined to prove himself capable of being good like he promised, showing how he genuinely wishes to change for the better. History Janja and his clan are starving in the Outlands. Cheezi notices a baobab fruit nearby and wants to eat it, but Janja is disgusted at the idea, and instead starts to chomp at a passing butterfly. He fails to catch it, and the other hyenas start to laugh as it lands on his ear. Janja snaps at them for this, though soon notices Bunga looking for his ball. Flicking the bone away, he orders Chungu and Cheezi to bring the honey badger over to him for his lunch. Later, Mzingo hears of the new Lion Guard being formed and immediately alerts Janja, who shows great concern over this news as he remembers what the original Lion Guard stood for. He then comes up with a plan (after a brief interruption as he attempts to eat a nearby caterpillar) - to get rid of as many animals as they can to stop the new Lion Guard from being created. He leads his clan to explain his plan to them. At sunset, Janja and the rest of his clan then start an attack on the gazelles in their grazing spot, to which Kion is alerted to. Janja then fights the Lion Guard and sustains an injury, though eventually, he comes face to face with Kion himself. After taunting the lion cub, Kion lets loose the Roar of the Elders, and he and the other hyenas scatter back to the Outlands. Janja is mentioned by Kion when Jasiri arrives in the Pride Lands with a problem. He asks her if it's Janja and his hyenas, but she replies that it's actually lions causing the problem. The dry season has started in the Pride Lands, and Janja leads his cronies in an attack on Ma Tembo's Herd. Nne asks Janja if he's sure about this and he replies with a positive answer since elephants are nice and tender this time of year, especially young ones. He and Nne close in on Mtoto, but Ma Tembo sends them flying. Janja and his clan continue the attack until the Lion Guard arrives. He keeps running until Kion jumps right in front of him freezing the hyena in his tracks. Janja introduces Nne to Kion so he can make his getaway and meets up with the rest of his clan after the guard chases them out of the herd, and then Beshte sends them flying. Janja ends up landing on Ushari and retreats with his clan. He then rallies up another attack against the elephants and this time including the baboons too; they chase the baboons and elephants to a dead end (which is actually the Lion Guard's plan) and are driven away by Kion's roar and retreat to the Outlands. Back in the Outlands, the hyenas notice Ushari slithering around. When Chungu asks his leader if they can eat it, Janja replies unenthusiastically that they can, still disappointed with their earlier fails. Before they feast, Ushari starts to talk about how Kion gets his advice from Mufasa. Although hesitant to believe him, Janja starts to warm up to the snake after he mentions the possibility of speaking with Scar. Janja agrees to let him gather information, but they will be following him, just in case. Janja watches Ushari speak with Rafiki's apprentice, Makini, who confirms the ability to speak with Mufasa. After planting the idea of speaking with Scar in her head, Ushari returns to Janja, who heard everything. Stunned, he agrees to seek out more information. With Janja Still wary of Ushari, the snake brings him some friends of his, a group of skinks. Shupavu sends out Nyeusi to see where they're going. He follows them to the entrance of the Lair of the Lion Guard and slithers back to tell the others of his findings. Back at the Outlands volcano, Ushari discusses the latest information with Janja's clan and continues to explain how they need a Bakora Staff and for Kion to use his Roar of the Elders. They eventually decide that Kion roars best when his loved ones are in danger, and, with their goal in sight, they decide to Bring Back a Legend. Ushari waits in the volcano, while the hyenas get a staff and a loved one to lure Kion in. As they leave, the hyenas trample Ushari. The hyenas enter the Pride Lands and ambush Makini and Kiara, grabbing Kiara and the mandrill's staff and taking them back to the Outlands, where Kiara is thrown into an area full of geysers. Janja waits until he hears Kion, ordering his hyenas to entertain their guests while he deals with the cub. Janja tries to get Kion to Roar, but the cub refuses. Janja then states that they have demands, trying to keep the cub's attention. After exchanging some words, Ono swoops down to Kion and informs him that Kiara has been saved. With Kion about to leave, Janja taunts Kion, saying that they'll keep coming back again and again to harm Kion's family and that there's nothing he can do to stop them. In a fit of anger, Kion unleashes the Roar of the Elders, causing the volcano to erupt. With the volcano erupting, Janja returns to the volcano, where Ushari is not having any luck in summoning Scar. In a fit of fury, the hyena grabs the staff from the cobra and throws it into the lava below. Suddenly, an entity rises from the volcano, laughing menacingly. Janja draws back and stutters and, before he can ask, the entity confirms that he is indeed Scar. In the volcano, Janja, Ushari, Reirei, Kiburi, and Mzingo have gathered for a meeting with Scar. When their leader orders his next plan for Simba and the Guard Janja asks how they will take down Simba and the Guard on the same day. Scar explains that the scorpion named Sumu will help take care of Simba. As Sumu enters Janja first jumps on top of Reirei, then Kiburi, panicking. After Sumu has left, Janja asks Kiburi if Sumu is gone. Kiburi answers 'yes' before throwing Janja off his back. As per Scar's orders, Janja and the rest of his clan lie in wait outside. When the now exhausted Lion Guard make their way up the Outlands Volcano searching for the antidote for Sumu's sting, Janja's clan ambushes the Guard and engage in combat. Janja immediately pins Kion down but is thrown off when Cheezi and Chungu are catapulted across to him. Later, once the Lion Guard have been introduced to Scar, Janja and the rest of the newly formed Army of Scar approach the Lion Guard, cornering them over the volcano. Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to force some of the army away, causing Janja's clan to take their turn. But like those before them, they are left defeated back in the volcano when Kion uses his Roar again. Scar decides to attack Makuu's watering hole since the crocodiles' alliance with Kion is fraying. The Army of Scar, including Janja and his clan, besieges Makuu's float. Ono witnesses the battle and reports his findings to Kion. Together, the Lion Guard and their Pride Lander allies storm the watering hole and fight off the Army of Scar. At Mizimu Grove, Rafiki and Simba announce Makini's mpando mpaya, and Timon and Pumbaa perform their song ("Tujiinue"). In the midst of the celebration, the Army of Scar, including Janja and his clan, attacks, and the Pride Landers rise up to defend themselves. The battle pauses when Scar appears in the flames and threatens to overtake the entirety of the Pride Lands. Frightened by Scar's unexpected appearance, the remaining Pride Landers flee Mizimu Grove. Kion then uses the Roar of the Elders to defeat the Outlanders. Back in the Outlands, Scar summons Janja and informs him that the only way for Kion to defeat him is to use the Roar in the volcano's inner chamber. He then orders Janja and his clan to distract the Lion Guard while Scar executes his plan against the Pride Landers. Thinking the plan is easy for them, Janja obeys without question. That night, Janja and his clan bait the Lion Guard into following them into the Lair of the Lion Guard. At the same time, Kiburi, Goigoi, and their allies set fire to Pride Rock, trapping the Lion Guard and Janja's clan in the Lair. Janja manages to escape the fire and realizes that he has been betrayed by Scar. With no other options, he appeals to Jasiri for help, which she accepts. When Janja arrives with Jasiri, his clan and the Lion Guard have already been saved. Jasiri implores the Pride Landers to trust him. Janja explains what Scar had told him about Kion's ability to defeat Scar once and for all. The Pride Landers then resolve to assault the Outlands and use Kion's Roar to take out Scar. Not long afterward, Janja and his clan, together with the Pride Landers, assault the Outlands. In the midst of the Battle of Kenya, Cheezi and Chungu almost attack the rhinos out of habit, but are reminded by Janja that they are on the same side. Janja is one of the many animals to be called upon the previous Lion Guard leaders to finish the Army of Scar off with their abilities. Receiving the Mark of the Guard, Janja is one of the fiercest members of Simba's army. When Scar rejuvenates himself in the process, Janja unexpectedly shows up to attack his former master from behind. He attempts to pass his leadership as the fiercest member to Kion, but is hit by Scar's roar and gets horribly injured. Bunga, Fuli, Beshte and Ono believe that all is truly lost, but with his last ounce of strength, Janja presses his paw on Kion's shoulder for him to receive the Mark of the Guard. Now fully resuscitated, Kion uses the strength of the Roar and the Great Kings of the Past to vaporize Scar's body for good. Janja evacuates from the volcano before Scar explodes into nothingness. With the evil finally gone, this leaves the Outlanders without leadership, and Janja announces that Jasiri from now on will lead the Outlands following the way of Circle of Life, even those who object will have to answer to her new clan, which includes his minions. After hearing that Zira and her pride are going to attack the Pride Lands, Janja and Jasiri travel to the Tree of Life to get the Lion Guard's help. On their way to the Tree of Life, they meet an Asiatic cheetah named Azaad, who guides them to their destination. Once they arrive at the Tree of Life, Janja is tackled by Bunga, who had forgotten that Janja had reformed. Janja reminds him, and Bunga allows him to get up. Janja and Jasiri inform the Lion Guard of Zira's plan to attack the Pride Lands. The group immediately departs for the Pride Lands. Back in the Outlands, Janja and Jasiri are welcomed by Cheezi, Chungu, and Madoa, who have been in hiding. When Madoa reveals that Zira's pride has already entered the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard, the hyenas, and the vultures confront Vitani and her lionesses. Janja helps fight against Shabaha and seemingly corners her. However, Shabaha then grabs Bunga and throws him at Janja before chasing Cheezi and Chungu. Janja comments that Shabaha's fighting style reminds him of Bunga. Before Kion can use the Roar to take out Vitani and her lionesses, Kiara interferes and reveals that Kovu, Vitani, and the rest of Zira's pride have joined the Pride Landers. Kovu then reveals that Zira has died. Kiara tells the Lion Guard to return to Pride Rock, where they'll explain everything. Since the conflict has been settled, Janja and the rest of the Outlanders returns to their territory in peace. A year later, Janja attends Kion and Rani's wedding at the Tree of Life with Jasiri, Sita, Saba, Madoa, Wema, Tunu, Nne, Tano, Cheezi, and Chungu. Quotes Behind the scenes * Janja is voiced by Andrew Kishino, who also did Hitashi and Ora's spirit. * When betraying Scar, Janja's line "Hey, Scar! SHUT UUUUP!" is a reference to Iago's line "Hey Jafar, SHUT UP!", when he betrays Jafar during the final battle in The Return of Jafar. Category:WindowsMyers2018 Category:Characters Category:Original Characters Category:Males Category:Hyenas Category:Leaders Category:Adults Category:Reformed Characters Category:Army of Scar Members Category:The Lion Guard Members Category:The Lion King: Revisited